I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 23 Please set off on your journey!

It was already noon.

The crowd gathered at the city gate had all registered and dispersed, each secretly hoping for a reward from the second young master of the Chen family.

Zhao Bing was originally standing no more than ten meters away from Chen Mo, watching. He held a spear in his hand and thought to himself: The second young master of the Chen family must not be harmed. If the bandits dare to resist, he will go over and stab them.

Catching criminals is itself a meritorious act.

Now, not only have the bandits been caught, but the Chen family has also given them a reward, making it a win-win situation.

Zhao Bing was extremely happy.

But the next moment, he witnessed Chen Mo swiftly sever the bandit's head. Zhu San's head flew six meters away, rolled on the ground, and came to rest at Zhao Bing's feet.

Blood was still gushing from the cut, splattering onto his trouser leg.

Watching Chen Mo's departing figure with his knife, Zhao Bing suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"He was kidnapped by two bandits, but he didn't panic. Instead, he put half a hairpin in his mouth and pretended to be asleep. When the bandits left the city, he fought back and killed one of them. He even used the reward money to mobilize the crowd to surround the remaining Zhu San, and finally captured him. Perhaps he got some key information from Zhu San, so he killed him with a single stroke. The scheme was meticulous, and every step was deadly. If it were anyone else, how could they have survived?"

"Outsiders all say that the second young master of the Chen family is a spendthrift who squanders money like water. What a huge misunderstanding that is."

"Holding eight hundred taels of silver is terrifying..."

After regaining his composure, Zhao Bing ordered several soldiers, "Take the bodies of these two bandits to the garrison to claim your reward."

……

Meanwhile, Lin Yulan knelt before the statue of the Red Lantern Goddess in the Chen Family Ancestral Hall, offering incense.

They kept kowtowing and bowing.

"May the Goddess of the Red Lantern bless my Erlang and bring him back safely. Erlang is my only child. Even if I had to give my life for Erlang's, I wouldn't hesitate..."

"Please, Goddess of the Red Lantern, protect Erlang! I beg you!"

Bang bang bang.

After saying only a few words, Lin Yulan suddenly started kowtowing again.

Just then, Butler Liu's voice came from outside the door, "Madam, Master is back."

Lin Yulan suddenly raised her head, rushed out of the ancestral hall, and ran all the way to the central courtyard. There she saw Chen Yinfu sitting slumped in a mahogany chair.

Besides Chen Yinfu, there was a beautiful woman, a thirteen-year-old boy, and a five-year-old girl standing next to him.

The woman was Zhang Ru, Chen Yinfu's second wife. The boy was her son, Chen Wu. As for the five-year-old girl, she was Chen Yu'er, the daughter of the third wife. The third wife died young, leaving behind only her young, orphaned daughter.

Chen Yuer was wearing a red cotton-padded jacket and eating a candied hawthorn, completely unaware of what had happened.

When Zhang Ru and Chen Wu saw Lin Yulan approaching, they both bowed.

Lin Yulan ignored them and walked directly to Chen Yinfu. "Master, what did the Red Lantern Agency say?"

Eh!
Chen Yinfu shook his head and sighed: "The Red Lanterns have been too busy lately and still refuse to summon me."

Lin Yulan, already thin, swayed and nearly fell to the ground. Zhang Ru, who was standing nearby, stepped forward to support her. "Madam, you must take care of yourself. Headhunter Zhou and the others have gone to look for him. They'll definitely find the young master."

Lin Yulan glared at Zhang Ru, then looked at Chen Wu beside her: "It wasn't your son who got into trouble, you're just making sarcastic remarks."

Zhang Ruren shuddered and lowered her head, not daring to speak.

Chen Wu stepped forward at this moment and said, "Auntie, Brother Mo is a lucky man, he won't be in any trouble. Besides, even if Brother Mo is gone, you still have me. I'm your son too, and I will take good care of you from now on..."

Before Chen Wu could finish speaking, Zhang Ru quickly covered his mouth and scolded him harshly, "How dare you, a child, interrupt when adults are talking! Go stand outside as punishment. You are not allowed to eat without Madam's permission."

Thirteen-year-old Chen Wu had no idea what he had said wrong to anger his mother so much. He felt extremely wronged but dared not argue back. He went outside, suppressing his resentment, and stood in the cold wind, his hands and feet trembling.

Zhang Ru quickly said to Lin Yulan, "The child is young and doesn't understand. Xiao Wu's intentions were good, but he just didn't know his limits. Please don't hold a grudge against a child."

Zhang Ru was also the daughter of a wealthy family, and her background wasn't bad. But in the Chen household, she was ultimately a concubine, meaning she had to depend on others for her livelihood.

Lin Yulan glanced at Zhang Ru's panicked expression, then at Chen Wu standing outside in the cold wind, and finally couldn't bear it: "Let Xiao Wu in. It's windy outside, don't let him catch a cold."

Zhang Ru dared not do as instructed. "Madam is kind-hearted, but Xiao Wu ultimately said the wrong thing. He should be punished so that he will learn his manners."

Lin Yulan then fell silent.

Five-year-old Chen Yu'er, seeing her brother being punished, lost her appetite for candied hawthorns. She ran to Lin Yulan and timidly tugged at her sleeve. "Auntie, what did Brother Wu do wrong that he has to stand in the corner as punishment? Please forgive Brother Wu, Auntie. I just saw Brother Wu go out to find Brother Mo." Lin Yulan glared at Zhang Ru. "Are you trying to make me the villain? Hurry up and bring your precious son in."

Zhang Ru was torn, but finally gritted her teeth and said, "Madam is kind-hearted, but I, as her mother, cannot let Xiao Wu lose his manners. Just have Steward Liu give Xiao Wu an extra jacket."

Steward Liu had been waiting outside the door. Upon hearing this, he hurriedly went to the side room next door to fetch a thick coat and draped it over Chen Wu's shoulders. Then he stood respectfully to the side and waited.

Unlike Chen Yinfu and Lin Yulan, who looked on with anticipation, Butler Liu remained calm.

He knew very well that Chen Mo could not come back.

The family waited in the living room for a long time, but no news came, so they became increasingly impatient.

Just then, Qiulan rushed in, shouting as she ran, "Master, Madam, the Second Young Master is back!"

Chen Yinfu and Lin Yulan quickly got up and rushed to the front gate to look outside.

Not long after, Chen Mo arrived, carrying a knife, covered in blood, and looking travel-worn.

The most shocked person was Butler Liu, who huddled together and began to tremble involuntarily.

How can it be……

As Chen Mo braved the cold wind and entered the central courtyard, he saw his youngest sister, Chen Yu'er, running towards him from afar. She threw herself into Chen Mo's arms, exclaiming, "Brother Mo, you're finally back! Everyone's been waiting for you!"

Chen Mo was in a bad mood, but seeing how cute the little girl was, he hugged Chen Yu'er before putting her down. After walking a few steps forward, he saw Chen Wu standing under the eaves as punishment.

What are you doing standing here?

Chen Wu glanced at Chen Mo and immediately sensed an extremely heavy murderous aura emanating from him. His face was stained with blood, and he was carrying a broadsword. Instinctively, he felt a sense of fear and lowered his head without saying a word.

Chen Mo then looked at Zhang Ru standing under the eaves. Zhang Ru was also intimidated by Chen Mo's appearance and quickly explained the reason, finally saying, "Children can't be unruly..."

Chen Mo didn't bother with pleasantries and said directly, "Chen Wu didn't say anything wrong. If anything happens to me, Chen Wu is my mother's son and should shoulder the future of the Chen family. Let him go in and talk."

Zhang Ru was greatly surprised and looked at the imposing second young master in front of her in disbelief.

In Zhang Ru's memory, the second young master was always stingy and vicious, and he especially liked to bully Chen Wu, constantly mocking Chen Wu for being born out of wedlock. Why would he say something like this today?

"My son, you're finally back! You scared your mother to death!" Lin Yulan excitedly ran down the steps, not caring about her appearance, and hugged Chen Mo tightly, as if afraid that Chen Mo would slip away from her arms.

Chen Mo was deeply moved and forced a smile, "Mother, I'm fine."

After a long while, Lin Yulan finally let go of Chen Mo.

Chen Mo walked up to Chen Yinfu and cupped his hands in greeting: "Your son is unfilial and has caused Father worry."

Chen Yinfu was a reserved man, not one to easily reveal his emotions, but he couldn't hide the joy on his face. "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. You're my good son. Come, tell me what happened."

"Father, please wait a moment, I still have something to attend to." Chen Mo cupped his hands in greeting, then walked to Steward Liu who was standing to the side.

Butler Liu felt uneasy under Chen Mo's beast-like gaze, but being an old fox, he quickly cupped his hands in congratulations: "Congratulations, young master, on escaping danger and returning safely. I was just praying for you in my heart. You must be hungry after your journey, so I'll have the cook prepare lunch right away."

After saying this, Butler Liu was about to leave when Chen Mo called him back.

"Steward Liu, please wait."

Butler Liu turned around, his attitude extremely respectful, "Is there anything else you need, young master?"

Chen Mo said, "I would like to borrow something from Steward Liu."

Butler Liu bowed and said, "I have served the young master and master for many years. All my food, water, and clothing have been provided by the young master and master. If the young master needs anything, just give the order. There is no need to borrow anything."

"In that case, I'll borrow your head!"

With that, Chen Mo drew his sword, and in an instant, the blade flashed, and a fresh human head flew off from the neck. Crimson blood spurted from the severed neck, shooting three feet high.

Clang!

The next moment, Chen Mo sheathed his knife, which made a metallic humming sound.

And then there was Chen Mo's soft murmur.

"Please set off on your journey!"

(End of this chapter)